


Death's Wings

by WishaDream



Series: Things I wrote in Middle/High school [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Death, Humor, Other, i remember liking this one as well, outrunning death, went back to it a lot ot rewrite, wow not all the things i wrote younger were about romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24810928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishaDream/pseuds/WishaDream
Summary: Charlie is a paramedic who has just discovered a connection between recent death's and a black crow.
Series: Things I wrote in Middle/High school [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1794586





	Death's Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't even remember writing half of these but I remember enjoying writing them so I thought I'd share some of them in case someone got some joy out of reading them. I didn't really have the time to rewrite any of them, some I know I've gone over several times to make better, some I think are the first draft, but again, more for entertainment than anything. Hopefully you'll enjoy them (unsure grimace.)

Story Three  
On Raven's Wings

Death: Infinite Charlie: 0

An ambulance slowly cruised down the street as it waited for a call.  
The summer sun beat down on the red and white van as it turned a corner. Charlie, a woman in her mid-twenties with short chin-length dark brown hair, sat in the passenger seat with her arm resting half-way out the window. She looked straight ahead, intently watching the sky.  
“You wanna--,” started her partner Cory as he turned his head slightly to look at her.  
She held up her hand and made a shushing sound. Her eyes squinted as she looked more attentively up at the sky.  
“…do you--,” Cory started again.  
She snapped her head around and looked at him. “Turn right here.”  
“Right he--.”  
“Now!” yelled Charlie.  
Cory turned the wheel sharply and just barely made the turn.  
“Turn the sirens on,” ordered Charlie.  
“But no one called us to--.”  
Charlie turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “Just do it!”  
Cory sighed and flipped them on. “Right.”  
The ambulance zoomed down the road, lights flashing.   
Charlie looked up into the sky following a black speck with her eyes. A black bird slowly flapped his wings and soared through the air.  
“I’ve got you this time. I won’t lose again,” thought Charlie as she clenched her fist and hit it lightly against the car door.

* * *

Charlie and Joshua wheeled the stretcher back into the ambulance. A black bag lay on top. They hadn’t made this one.   
Joshua looked up at the sound of a raven’s caw.  
“Have you noticed--?” started Joshua, not finishing his thought.  
“Noticed what?” asked Charlie as she closed the doors.  
“That bird,” replied Joshua motioning to it with his head. “It always seems to be around when we pick up people.”  
Charlie's eyebrow rose curiously. “What are you talking about?”  
“I’m talking about how it seems that whenever we make it here before the raven flies off, the person lives. But if the raven flies away, the person dies.”  
Charlie rolled her eyes and shot him a “you’re crazy” look.  
“No I’m serious. You haven’t noticed?”  
Charlie shrugged. “Guess I’m not as observant as you.”  
Joshua laughed. “No I guess not. You ready to take this one in Charlene? Charlene?”

* * *

Cory looked worriedly over at his partner as he halted the car at a stop sign. “Charlie, you in there?”  
Charlie turned her head slowly and looked at him. “Yeah, what is it?”  
“Where do I go now?”  
Charlie looked out the window. “Stop here.”  
Cory stopped the vehicle and Charlie jumped out, running towards the house.  
“Grab the stuff, and hurry!” she yelled back at Cory.  
Jumping up the stairs of the house, she knocked on the door. “Hello, is anyone in there. This is the paramedics! Anyone in there?!”  
Cory ran up next to her carrying the medic bag.  
Charlie turned to him. “Help me break the door down.”  
His eyebrows shot up. “Are you crazy?”  
“Just do it!”  
Cory sighed and helped her kick the door in. She stepped inside first and looked around. “Anyone in here?”  
Moaning came from the other room. Inside an old man was lying on his bed holding his chest. He turned his head and held out his hand towards them imploringly. “Help me,” he wheezed.  
“Come on,” ordered Charlie as she grabbed the bag and headed towards the bed.

Charlie and Cory wheeled the man towards the ambulance. He looked up at them with a smile and wheezed a small thank you.  
“How did you know?” stammered Cory, still in shock.  
Charlie lifted the stretcher up into the van with him. “Know what?”  
“That he needed our help. That he was here, having a heart attack.”  
Charlie looked up at the chimney of the house where a raven sat pruning itself. Its feathers flashed blue in the sunlight.  
She frowned. “I just knew.”  
The ambulance sped away leaving a cloud of dust behind. The raven finished pruning and watched the van for a bit. Finally it flapped its wings and flew off.

* * *

Death: Infinite Charlie: 1

“You were awesome yesterday! How did you know about those people?” asked Cory as he rocked back and forth in the driver’s seat excitedly.  
Charlie looked out the window of the ambulance. “I just did.”  
Cory glanced at her and then looked back at the road. “So…do you--.”  
“Turn here, now!” ordered Charlie leaning forward as she pointed.  
Cory quickly turned the wheel and the car made the sudden turn. “Not this again.”  
“Just follow this road,” said Charlie as she followed the raven’s flight with her eyes.

Cory knocked on a glass door with the words “Chief” painted on it.  
“Come in,” said a voice inside.  
Cory opened the door and stepped in. He closed it behind him.  
“Chief,” started Cory nervously. “I just wanted to say...” he sighed. “My partner's lost it. I think she should go back on leave. She’s not ready to be out in the field. She’s not over her partner’s--.”  
The chief held up her hand and nodded. “I know this is going to be a hard time for you two. That’s why you need to work as a team. Support each other. Be there for her and she will be there for you. You think you can handle that? Or do I need to change you to another partner?”  
“No, I got it. Thanks Chief,” Cory turned and walked out of the office. “Guess she won’t listen either.”  
Cory headed out to the ambulance garage. Charlie carried a box of supplies to the van and started putting the items in their places.  
“Hey, where’ve you been?” she asked without looking at him.   
He always found it a little unnerving how she didn’t really look at people when she talked to them.  
“Just talking to the chief,” replied Cory coolly.  
“About what? Oh wait, never mind,” she took the empty box over to a pile of boxes. “That’s not my business.”  
“I…I was telling her about your strange behavior,” replied Cory. She should know.  
Charlie stopped what she was doing, turning to look at him and raised an eyebrow. “Strange behavior?”  
Cory sighed and waved his hand dismissively. “Never mind. Just forget it.”   
Charlie shrugged and turned back to the boxes. “Okay.”  
He watched her, stunned. “That’s it?”  
“What? You want me to torture it out of you? You don’t want to talk about it, then I’m not going to press you. It’s none of my business.”  
“O-okay…” replied Cory. But it was about her and wasn’t it obvious what the strange behavior was?  
She brushed herself off. “Okay let’s go.”  
Cory got into the driver’s seat as Charlie buckled herself in.  
“Where to?”  
Charlie looked out the window. “Just drive.”

* * *

“There it is again.”  
“There’s what?” asked Charlie as she turned to look where Joshua was looking.  
“That raven,” replied Joshua as he motioned with his head.  
Charlie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Not that again.”  
“No seriously. I think something is up with that bird.”  
Charlie shook her head. “You are just paranoid. Combined with an over active imagination.”  
Joshua shook his head. “No. I’ll prove it to you.”  
Charlie grinned and chuckled. “You don’t need to. I already know you are crazy.”  
“No. We’ll follow the bird.”  
She gave him a skeptical look. “And what is that going to prove?”  
Joshua smiled and looked at her. “That I’m not crazy.”  
Charlie sighed as he turned to the left, following the raven’s flight.  
“Keep an eye on that bird. Don’t lose it.”  
Charlie gazed out the window, following it with her eyes. “What if we get a call while on this wild goose chase?”  
“Just trust me, okay?”  
Charlie glanced over at him, he smiled at her. She sighed and mumbled a yes and then looked out the window.  
“It’s heading east towards Seven,” said Charlie.  
“Alright,” he turned the car onto the ramp for Highway Seven.

The ambulance stopped in front of a run down house.   
Joshua jumped out of the car. “Grab the bag.”  
He ran to the door while Charlie grabbed the bag out of the back and hurried after him.  
Knocking on the door he called out, “Hello, this is the paramedics. Is anyone there?”  
The door opened and a woman peeked through the crack at them. “May I help you?”  
“Um, yes. Is everyone…healthy in your house?” asked Joshua hesitantly.  
Charlie stepped back off the porch and looked up at the roof of the house where the raven sat pruning itself.  
“Yes. Everything is fine. Did someone call you?” asked the woman.  
“No, we just--,” started Joshua.  
Charlie stepped up next to him. “Do you hear that?”  
“Hear what?”  
“Excuse me,” Charlie pushed past the woman and looked around inside the house. Joshua apologized and came in after her.  
“What is it?” he asked.  
She held her fingers up to her lips. “Over here.”  
Charlie put her hand on a door knob and started to open it. The woman rushed over and put herself between Charlie and the door. “No, get out, you shouldn’t be here,” said the woman, slightly panicked.  
“Move aside m'am,” ordered Joshua.  
“No, you aren’t the police. You don’t have a permit to be in here,” replied the woman.  
Joshua frowned and looked at her sternly. “Move.” He reached out and grabbed the woman’s shoulders and easily moved her aside.   
Charlie opened the door and gasped as she looked into the room. “Oh my goodness.”  
In a corner of the room huddled two children. Their bodies emaciated with hunger. Dirt covering their gaunt faces. They covered their sensitive eyes and looked at her as if she was the devil himself. They had obviously been abused.  
“Joshua, call the police,” said Charlie barely able to get the words out. It was so horrible.  
Joshua nodded and pulled out his radio. “Hello. This is ambulance 42.”  
Charlie stepped into the room slowly. “It’s okay. We’re here to help you. Here. Are you hungry?”  
Charlie reached into her bag and pulled out two sports bars and opened them. She held them out to the kids who cringed away from her.  
“It’s okay, it’s food. See,” she took a bite of the bar and made an “mm” sound. She held it out to the kids again. The bigger of the two hesitantly took the bar and took a small bite. He then gave the rest of the bar to the smaller one. Charlie took off her jacket and wrapped it around the two kids who were shaking from their lack of clothing and body fat to keep them warm.  
“They’re on the way,” said Joshua.  
The woman stood in the doorway shaking. “You shouldn’t be here. You don’t belong here.”  
“Let’s get them to the car,” said Charlie as she picked up one of the children and Joshua the other. The police arrived just as they reached the van.

“So you are saying they would have died if we had not arrived when we did?” said Charlie later as they drove down the road.  
“You saw them. You even checked their vitals. Don’t you agree my hypothesis is true?”  
“Well, yes. But you are also saying that the raven had something to do with it.”  
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m not really sure yet how it is. I’m still deciding between it being death or that it is an omen of death.”  
Charlie sighed and shook her head. “I still think you are crazy.”  
“But aren’t you glad you listened to me and we were able to save those kids?”  
Charlie nodded. “Saving a life is always a good thing.”

* * *

Cory turned a corner in the van. “You ready to go save some lives?”  
Charlie turned and looked at him.  
“What?” asked Cory with a shrug.  
“Let’s go,” replied Charlie.

* * *

Death: Infinite Charlie: 3

Cory sat in the ambulance leaning against the wheel. He sighed. “Where is she?” He tapped his fingers on the wheel and then leaned against the window and looked behind him.  
“Hey Nick,” called Cory to a passing medic. “Have you seen Charlie?”  
Nick shook his head. “Nope. Haven’t seen her.”  
Cory sighed and leaned back inside the ambulance and looked up at the roof. “What is taking her?”  
Another medic walked over and leaned inside the window. “Hey Cory, Charlie called and said she won’t be making it in today.”  
“So what does that mean? Are you gonna fill in for her?”  
“Nah. Boss says you can just take the day off."  
“What, really?”  
The guy nodded and smiled. “Yeah. She says you deserve it.”  
The guy stepped back as Cory opened the ambulance door. “Okay. Thanks.”  
He waved as he ran off. “Later.”

Charlie slowly got up and walked to the door as the bell stopped ringing. She opened the door.  
“Hey Char, what’s up?” asked Cory as he stood on the porch to her house.  
She squinted at him through puffy eyes, her nose red from wiping it with tissues. She brushed her messy hair behind her ear and blew her nose.  
“Hey,” she said in a nasally voice.  
“A cold?” asked Cory. “You seemed fine yesterday.”  
“When I get sick, I get sick over night.”  
“Oh…weird.”  
Charlie stepped aside. “Do you want to come in?”  
Cory nodded and stepped in. “Sure.”  
“So I take it you got off work.” Charlie shut the door. "Would you like some tea?"  
He shook his head no, so she poured herself some and sat down in the chair across from him.  
“So what you doing here?” asked Charlie as she blew on her tea.  
“Just checking up on you to make sure you are okay."  
Charlie looked down. “Oh. Okay.”  
“What?”  
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”  
Cory sighed and looked down.   
Charlie stood up. “Let’s go.”  
Cory looked up at her confused. “Go where?”  
“Go for a walk,” replied Charlie as she pulled on her boots.  
“A walk? Aren’t you sick?”  
“Not that sick. Come on,” She headed to the door.  
“Aren’t you going to get dressed?” asked Cory as he looked at her pajamas.  
Charlie looked down at her clothes and back up at him confused. “What for?”  
“You-you’re wearing…you--,” Cory stammered.  
Charlie sighed. “Come on.”  
She opened the door and headed out. Cory sighed and followed her, still stunned she would go out wearing just her PJs.  
They headed to the local park and started down a path through the woods. Cory followed her, walking along behind her quietly. A bird called and Charlie looked towards the sound. She then looked away just as quickly as if nothing had happened.   
But Cory had noticed. “What’s up with you and that bird?”  
Charlie looked at him, smiling innocently as she asked, “What bird?”  
“The raven.”  
“Oh, Midnight?”  
“You named it?!”  
Charlie looked away. “No. I didn’t.”  
Cory looked at her closely.  
“My partner…Joshua did,” she replied slowly.  
“Oh…” Cory looked down. He shouldn’t have asked.  
“Come on, let’s get inside,” she turned and headed back up the path.

* * *

Joshua drove swiftly down the road. Charlie clutched her armrest as they sharply turned a corner.  
“Joshua, we can’t! Joshua, we can’t follow the bird. We have to do our job,” protested Charlie.  
“This is our job,” replied Joshua through gritted teeth. “The bird goes where people are going to die. We have to--.”  
“No. No it’s just a coincidence. They need us downtown. We can’t go chasing this bird around.”  
“There are plenty of other ambulances that can take the call. Do you want someone’s death on your conscience?” asked Joshua glancing at her.  
“The only death that is going to be on my conscience is yours. And I won’t feel guilty about that."  
Joshua laughed. “Yeah well, just trust me on this.”  
“But I--,” Charlie started.  
“Would I steer you wrong?” asked Joshua.  
“Well ye--.”  
“On something important?”   
She looked down and shook her head. “No.”  
“Then just trust me.”  
Charlie sighed. “Fine. But if we get in trouble this is all your fault.”  
Joshua smiled. “Fine.”  
He turned the wheel, the tires screeching in protest as they made a tight turn around a corner. The car came to a sudden halt in a parking lot where the raven was sitting atop a lamp post.  
“Come on Midnight, where’s your target?” whispered Joshua as he looked around.  
“Midnight?” Charlie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Who’s that?”  
Joshua pointed at the raven. “Him. You head that way and I’ll head this way.”  
The two ran off in separate directions, each carrying their own medic bag.  
“Anyone need help?!” called Charlie as she ran down the line of cars.  
Charlie looked both ways and then started running across the street. Joshua lunged from between two parked cars and pushed her out of the way as a car zoomed out of nowhere down the road. Charlie hit the ground just as she heard a screeching of tires and then the sound of a crash.   
She cried out in shock and jumped up, running over to the car. Falling down on her knees in front of the car she put her face in her hands, crying. Joshua’s hand stuck out from under the car--still as death.

* * *

Charlie lay on the couch asleep. Cory stepped next to her and put a blanket over her. He walked away, stopping in front of the fireplace. Peering at the objects on the mantle, his eyes stopped on a picture of Charlie and Joshua.  
He picked the picture up and frowned. “That must be him.”  
He looked back at the sleeping woman. “Wonder what he has to do with that bird.”  
Setting the picture back down, he walked over to the window and looked out. Something caught his eye. He squinted to see it better. “Is that…the raven?”  
Cory looked closer. A black bird sat on a phone pole pruning itself. “Could it be?”  
Cory walked to the door and started to open it. A hand reached out and slammed the door shut again.  
“Don’t,” wheezed Charlie. “Don’t go outside.”  
“What? Why not?” asked Cory.  
“Just don’t.”  
“Why are you suddenly afraid of that bird? We’ve been following it around all week and now you are afraid of getting near it.”  
“It brings death,” she coughed slightly.  
“What?”  
“Death. Wherever it is, death follows.”  
Cory looked at her like she was crazy.  
“Just...just don’t go outside. I…I have to think.”  
She walked back over to the couch and sat down. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rocked back and forth in thought.   
Cory looked at her and then looked back at the window. The raven had moved to a tree inside the yard. “It moved closer.”  
Charlie looked up then down again. “Move away from the window.”  
“What fo--.”  
“Just do it!” snapped Charlie.  
Cory turned and looked at her surprised. Charlie looked down again. He sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down.  
“What’s going on?  
“That bird brings death,” replied Charlie.  
Cory started to laugh but stopped at the sight of her icy glare.  
“Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”  
“Well, what do you mean it 'brings death?'” he asked.  
“I can’t explain it very well. Or really at all. But whenever it is around someone dies. Or almost dies.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes! I learned it first hand!”  
Cory was stunned by her reaction. She looked away.  
“M-my partner. He died following that stupid raven. And just as it flew away, so did his life,” she clenched her jaw to keep back the tears.  
“I’m sorry,” replied Cory softly. “I didn’t know.”  
The door flew open and both looked up to see a person in a black robe walk in.  
“I won’t let you take him too!” yelled Charlie as they both stood up. She stepped in front of Cory and put her arm out protectively.  
“It’s not him I’m after. Nor was it your partner,” replied the figure in a deep voice.  
Charlie looked at him. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating. “What are you talking about?”  
“You are not chasing death. Death is chasing you. It is your time.”  
“But then…why did you take Joshua?”  
“He sacrificed himself for you. We do not take sacrifices lightly.”  
Charlie looked down, her mind trying to comprehend it all. “Me? I-I should have died? I--.” She put her face in her hands and started to cry.   
The dark figure held out his hand to her. “Come. It is time to go.”  
Charlie’s head snapped up. “Go? You said that he sacrificed himself for me. Doesn’t that mean he took my place?”  
The figure looked at her for a bit then replied slowly. “Well yes, but you--.”  
“But I what? Am not appreciative of it? I didn’t know that it was for me that he died. Now that I do I’m going to use that sacrifice to live on for him.”  
The figure stared at her with its blank black face.  
“You going to take my life now?”  
It did not reply.  
Charlie rolled back her shoulders. “Just as I thought. Now if you will excuse me, I have some lives to save. Come on Cory. We’ll keep fighting until the end.”  
She walked past the figure and headed out the door.   
Cory looked from the figure to her and then ran after her. They both walked off into the orange and red shades of the sunset.  
Charlie didn't hear as Death finally spoke and said, "Yes we took Joshua by accident. That was our mistake. He gave you his life. So we will let you live his. For now."  
Slowly a figure appeared beside Death. "I told you she would fight for her life."  
"This could prove to be fun."  
"How so?" asked Joshua.  
"You'll know soon enough." Death disappeared in a cloud shaped like ravens.  
Joshua looked out the door at Charlie's back. He smiled. "Live it well Charlie. Live it well."


End file.
